Fountain valve



Feb. 2, 1965 J. M. MUSGRAVE FOUNTAIN VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. '13, 1963 N OE INVENTOR.

JOHN M. MUSG RAVE BY E o m .N w mm .ON. @MVN F 1 z v 7 R mmmw A on on Feb. 2, 1965 Filed Sept. 13, 1963 J. M. MUSGRAVE FOUNTAIN VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

JOHN M. MUSGRAVE United States Patent 3,168,246 FOUNTAIN VALVE John M. Musgrave, Woodbine, Iowa Filed Sept. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 309,593 2 Claims. (Cl. 239-22) This invention relates to valves for controlling the rate of flow of fluid pressure such as are particularly useful for the control of a varying rate of water flow from a water fountain of the display type.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improvement upon the water flow control means of my earlier Patent #2879344, patented March 31, 1959, entitled, Illuminated Fountain Display.

A particular object is to provide a much more simple and elfective and :more economical means of automatically varying water flow rates in a fountain display of the type having a repeating pattern of fiow sequences.

A further object is to provide a valve for this purpose which will require less maintenance.

This application is a continuation in part of the applicants co-pending patent application Serial No. 140,427, filed September 25, 1961, titled Fountain Valve now abandoned.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawing and claims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings themselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a way in which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a display fountain, with a portion thereof broken away.

FIGURE 2 is a view-in-section taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view-in-section taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a view of a single valve of a slightly different and modified type than that shown in FIGURE 3. The view of FIGURE 4 being the equivalent of the view of FIGURE 2, although of a different modification, and shown with part of the valve housing removed and the remainder showing in section.

FIGURE 5 is a view-in-section taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4, certain parts being shown in dotted lines.

FIGURE 6 is a third modification of the invention and is otherwise a view similar to FIGURE 5.

Referring now to the drawings, and to FIGURE 1, a fountain of the display type is there shown at 10, the particular form of a fountain not being pertinent to this invention and so one such form is illustrated to indicate a typical use. The fountain 10 has an outer cover 12, a bottom :14, a motor housing for receiving a motor, not shown, a valve housing 24, which latter is preferably of a generally cylindrical shape as seen in cross section in FIGURE 3.

T he valve housing has an inlet formed by an opening '32 therethrough receiving an inlet pipe 36.

As best seen in FIGURE 2, the housing 24 has two outlets 44 and 46 disposed above and below each other respectively, each of these outlets being formed by re spective openings 50 and 52 in the housing which latter receive outlet pipes 58 and 60.

The outlet pipes 58 and 60 lead upwardly to elongated sprinkler conduits or sprinkler rings 62 and 64 resepc- 3,168,246 Patented Feb. 2, 19 65 tively, which latter are supported by the housing 12. The rings 62 and 64 have water distribution passages or openings 70 through the walls thereof in positions spaced along the length of the respective ring, whereby spray can flow outwardly therefrom like a fountain as indicated by dotted lines 72.

As best seen in FIGURE 2, a shaft '80 extends upwardly from the motor housing 20 and is driven by a motor therein, not shown, so as to rotate valve elements 84 and 86 which are disposed one above the other in the housing 24.

Each valve '84 or 86 is adapted to control the rate of flow of fluid passing out of the respective outlet 44 and 46.

The respective valves 84 and 86 have peripheries 88 and 90 which are preferably substantially cylindrical in general configuration, although they are also provided with many grooves 98 therein which are in positions to at times be in communication with the respective outlets 44 and 46, although the shape of the housing 24 is so cooperatively shaped and positioned, when a certain gasket 100 is considered a .part of the housing inner wall, that fluid from the interior of the housing can pass to the outlet 44 or 46 through one of the grooves 98.

The housing gasket 100 is fixed to the wall of the housing in a position for surrounding each of the outlets 44 and '46 and the inner wall 102 of the gasket 100 has surfaces disposed opposite the periphery of each of the valves which are concave and shaped in the form of a portion of a cylinder so as to be complemental to and tightly cfitting and gasketing the valves 88 and 90.

It will be seen that there can be one or more grooves 98 per valve. However, if one groove 98 is used, then it is necessary that it not extend completely around the periphery normal to the axis of rotation of the valve in a way symmetric with the axis or approximately so because this would only give a constant flow of fluid as is not the purpose of the invention.

In the construction shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, it is necessary that each groove have an end or a portion which is far enough disposed away from another portion of the same groove and in a direction to the rearward as regards the direction of rotation, in order that-itbe pos sible that at a time when a portion of such groove 98 is opposite an outlet, that other end of the groove, or that other portion, be disposed to one side of the gasket 100 so as to receive (fluid therein from the interior of the housing 24.

The grooves '98 can be of many and various shapes in order that they have varying effects upon the tflow of tfluid so that the fountain sprays 72 can rise and fall in an attractive manner according to the planning of the grooves.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, a valve can have a metal center 112, but preferably has an exterior surface 114 which is formed of resilient material.

However, the exterior layer 114 can be of metal effectively if the gasket 100 is resilient.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, it will be seen that the invention can also work with a single valve having grooves 112 in its periphery, the valve being normally substantially continuously rotated on a normally continuously rotating shaft 124 mounted on a motor housing 130, the valve being mounted in a housing 134 having an inlet 136 made in an opening 138 filled with an inlet pipe 140, the housing 134 having an outlet port formed by an opening 152 receiving an open outlet pipe 154, all of these parts being constructed the same as their counterparts in the modification of FIGURE 2, except that a single valve is shown in FIGURE 4 in a smaller housing.

However, in FIGURE 4 there is one difference in that in this modification the outlet pipe 154 projects inwardly of the housing 134 to engage a substantially cylindrical outer peripheral surface 170 of the valve, the outer surface 170 being preferably resilient so as to form an effective sealing against the inneredge surfaces of the outlet pipe 154. I,

Referring now to FIGURE 5, it will be seen that this is indicative of further modification of the invention in that in FIGURES; the valve 170 closely fitsthe housing 134 at substantially all points around the housing excepting at the area adjacent the inlet pipe 140. In this area the housing has an inner wall which protrudes outwardly as shown at 144 whereby fluid can enter the housing be- 'cause of a spacing between the rotor 1'70 and the inner end of the inlet pipe 140.

Referring to FIGURE 6, a modification is there shown in which a housing 200 has a similar inlet pipe 202, the valve 210 of FIGURE 6 having its center eccentric with respect to the interior of the cylindrical housing 200, whereby water can fl'ow around the outer sides of the valve 210 in the space indicated at 213 so that at times when a groove, such as indicated in dotted lines at 213, is long enough in a direction extending around the periphery or the valve 210 in a plane normal to its axis, long enough in this direction, that is, to be able to have a portion of the groove disposed across an outlet 22i) while another portion has its walls spaced back from the interior of the housing 200 sufliciently for receiving water from the space 213.

In the modification of FIGURE 6, it will be seen that grooves need not open 'at the top and the bottom of the valve 210 in order to receive water, since the groove can be long enough to receive water from the space 213 and yet deliver water through the outlet 220 through the housing 200 so that water does not pass through an outlet pipe 230, except at desired time's "It 'Will be seen that this invention has fulfilled the objects "above set forth, making it possible to provide a varying rate of flow of fluid in a manner much moreec0- nornical and less likely to need maintenance than hereto'for'e.

In FIGURE 3, it will be seen that leaving out the gasket 10%) will still produce a workable valve so long as there is a closeness of fit between the rotor periphery 88 and the adjacent inner surfaces of the outlet '46. A metal- 'opposite-m'eta'l fitshould, however, be characterized by a very slight spacing such as one thousandths of an inch, for example. Such a spacing would permit leakage even when a groove is not opposite the outlet, but a small leakage would not defeat practicality anyway as with a small leakage, the majority of, or substantially all fluid passing to the outlet must pass through a groove.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a fountain valve constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention can be changed and modified without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several partsherein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

1. A valve assembly for automatically varying the rate of flow of fluid under pressure, said valve having a housing having an outlet and an inlet, a normally continuously rotating valve in said housing having a periphery passing across said outlet and forming a sliding fit therewith, said periphery being generally circular in cross section and being spaced from said inlet for reception of fluid into said housing, the periphery of said valve having a groove therein which is periodically in communication with said outlet, the valve and the interior of said housing being so cooperatively shaped and positioned that the majority of all fluid passing through the outlet at times when said groove is opposite said outlet passes through said groove, said groove being elongated in the direction of the circular periphery of said valve, said groove having varying cross sectional areas spaced along the elongation of said groove whereby as said valve rotates, the

rate of flow through said valve varies, and means attached.

to said 'valve for normally continuously rotating said valve.

2. The combination of claim 1 in further combination with a fountain, thevalve being connected to the fountain for controlling flow into said fountain.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Walker 1Septf23, 195 8 Musgrave Mar. 31-, 1959 

1. A VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR AUTOMATICALLY VARYING THE RATE OF FLOW OF FLUID UNDER PRESSURE, SAID VALVE HAVING A HOUSING HAVING AN OUTLET AND AN INLET, A NORMALLY CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING VALVE IN SAID HOUSING HAVING A PERIPHERY PASSING ACROSS SAID OUTLET AND FORMING A SLIDING FIT THEREWITH, SAID PERIPHERY BEING GENERALLY CIRCULAR IN CROSS SECTION AND BEING SPACED FROM SAID INLET FOR RECEPTION OF FLUID INTO SAID HOUSING, THE PERIPHERY OF SAID VALVE HAVING A GROOVE THEREIN WHICH IS PERIODICALLY IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID OUTLET, THE VALVE AND THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING BEING SO COOPERATIVELY SHAPED AND POSITIONED THAT THE MAJORITY OF ALL FLUID PASSING THROUGH THE OUTLET AT TIMES WHEN SAID GROOVE IS OPPOSITE SAID OUTLET PASSES THROUGH SAID GROOVE, SAID GROOVE BEING ELONGATED IN THE DIRECTION OF THE CIRCULAR PERIPHERY OF SAID VALVE, SAID GROOVE HAVING VARYING CROSS SECTIONAL AREAS SPACED ALONG THE ELONGATION OF SAID GROOVE WHEREBY AS SAID VALVE ROTATES, THE RATE OF FLOW THROUGH SAID VALVE VARIES, AND MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID VALVE FOR NORMALLY CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING SAID VALVE. 